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Santiago – Atacama Desert- Torres del Paine
10 days / 9 nights
The program is valid from 2 pax from 01 Sep 2020 through 30 Apr 2021
The price of the program is per pax in USD:
Day 1: Santiago
You will be met at the Airport and transferred to Hotel in Santiago.
After accommodation you will have City Tour (half-day regular)
City tour through Santiago, visiting the historic center with its Plaza de Armas, Post Office, Municipality, Government House "La Moneda" and Cerro Santa Lucia. The tour continues to the east of the city to see its modern residential neighborhoods and new commercial areas.
Day 2: Santiago - Calama
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer from the hotel in Santiago to the Airport for your flight to Calama.After arrival you will be met at the Calama Airport and transferred (regular) to San Pedro de Atacama. You will have half-day excursion in Moon Valley.
A few kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, among the hills of sharp rocks and unusual shapes of the Cordillera de la Sal, is the Valley of the Moon, a true geological spectacle that forms part of the National Reserve Los Flamencos. During the tour you will enjoy the extravagant landscape forms, which will make you feel like walking on the lunar surface. As you spend the afternoon, you will enjoy unbeatable views of the Andes Mountain Range and its volcanoes. With the arrival of the sunset the golden and red tones will appear on the desert, a truly breathtaking panorama. Simply an unforgettable excursion for every visitor.
Transfer and accommodation in the hotel.
Included: Moon Valley entrance fee, Cocktail.
Day 3: San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast in the hotel. Then you start a full - day excursion to Atacama Salt Flat, High Plain Lagoons & Socaire.
Excursion to the high plain lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques. Lunch in Socaire. Transfer to the Atacama Salt Flat to visit the Chaxa Lagoon, and Flamingos National Reserve, to observe three out of the six different kinds of flamingos existing in the world. Trip continues to the town of Toconao, to visit San Lucas Church, and Campanario Tower. Return to San Pedro.
Included: Chaxa and High Plain lagoons entrance fee, Lunch menu
Day 4: San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast in the hotel.
Tatio Geysers & Machuca (half-day regular)
Today we will visit the impressive fumaroles of Geyser del Tatio over 4,000 meters high. Our trip starts early in the morning to see the sunrise in one of the most important geothermal fields in the world: The Tatio Geysers. There are more than 70 fumaroles from which steam jets emerge and form pools of boiling water. The most astonishing part of the day is the sunrise, between the contrast of the intensely blue sky and the pristine vapor of the geysers. In the middle of this impressive natural scenery next to the Andes, we will enjoy a refreshing breakfast that will allow us to warm up the body. The temperatures in this area reach 25ºC during the day, but in the mornings the minimum reaches 2ºC below zero. Then, we will visit the rustic pool, where you can enjoy a bath in Cordilleran hot springs. Taking the road back to San Pedro de Atacama, we will observe the beauty of the landscape, its valleys, native flora and fauna, where the charismatic vicunas and vizcachas stand out. Afterwards, we will stop at Machuca, an Atacameño town of just a couple of houses of adobe, straw and cactus wood, where its inhabitants are dedicated to tourism and they offer Andean crafts and typical cuisine such as llama meat, sopaipillas and empanadas. The stop includes a visit to the nice Church of San Santiago - patron of the town - and a small bofedal where flamingos, ducks and other birds live.
Included: Geysers del Tatio entrance fee
Cejar Lagoon & Tebenquinche (half-day regular)
Inside the huge Salar de Atacama we will visit the Cejar Lagoon, with its salt waters, in the middle of a beautiful landscape of turquoise colors, volcanoes and the greatness of this saline deposit that hides underneath a huge lake. Then, we will visit Ojos del Salar, two freshwater wells in the middle of the most arid desert in the world, and finally in the Tebinquinche lagoon we will enjoy a rich aperitif contemplating the reflection of the Andes in its waters, together with the whiteness of the salt. The sunset, with ocher colors and strong tonalities, will offer a true spectacle before our eyes.
After the tour return to the hotel.
Included: Cejar and Tebenquinche lagoons entrance fee, Cocktail
Day 5: Calama – Punta Arenas
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport. Transfer form the Airport to City of Punta Arenas and accommodation in the hotel.
Day 6: Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales
Magdalena Island Penguin Boat Tour (half-day regular from October to March)
Pick up at the hotel and transfer to the check in office. Afterwards, departure to the pier to embark and sail in Zodiac to the islands Magdalena and Santa Marta where we will meet an important penguin and sea lions colony. We will be able to observe more than 120,000 Magellanic penguins along with cormorants, sea lions and Antarctic seagulls. Return to Punta Arenas.
Included: Entrance fee
Then you will have a private from the hotel in Punta Arenas to bus station to start for to Puerto Natales (3-hour).Arrival at the bus station in Puerto Natales and private transfer to the hotel. Accommodation and rest in the selected hotel.
Day 7: Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine & Milodon Cave (full-day regular)
07:00 Pick up from the hotel to start visit to Milodon Cave Natural Monument, where a prehistoric mammal inhabited the area 12 thousand years ago. We will continue the tour, being able to observe Laguna Sofía, Cordillera Prat, Lake Porteño, Cerro Mesa, Lago del Toro. We will take a moment at Mirador Grey and later on transfer to Rio Serrano Village. We will continue visiting the Grey Lake to make a walk through a lenga forest towards the shore of the lake where you can see the icebergs detached from the glacier. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the viewpoints of Pehoe Lake and Salto Grande to make a nice walking to the waterfall of 18 meters. Afterwards, visit the viewpoints of Lake Nordenskjöld, Laguna Amarga, Mirador Lake Sarmiento and return to Puerto Natales, arriving at 18:45.
Includes: Torres del Paine and Cueva del Milodón entrance fees, Lunch
Day 8: Puerto Natales
Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Navigation (full-day regular)
Transfer to the pier to begin a boat tour through Last Hope Fjord en route to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. During the traverse, we will observe seal and cormorant colonies. Upon arrival at Serrano Glacier, we will dock at Toro Port and walk over half a mile through native forests. Cruise back to Puerto Natales.
Included: Entrance fee, Lunch
Day 9: Punta Arenas - Santiago
Breakfast in the hotel. A private transfer from the hotel in Puerto Natales to the bus station for your trip to Bus Punta Arenas Airport. Flight to Santiago, arrival and transfer from the airport to the hotel in Santiago.
Day 10: Santiago
Transfer from the hotel in Santiago to the airport for your flight home.
Included:
-Accommodation at specified hotels or similar, breakfast included (in case of a very early tour, a coffee station may be available)
-Meals as indicated
-Park entrance fees
-Transfers airport – hotel – airport
-All excursions mentioned, transportation included
-Tours with Spanish/English guide in international groups (40-seat bus)
-Bus ticket and transportation to/from bus terminal as needed
-24/7 emergency assistance throughout the trip
Not included:
-Flights
-Non indicated meals
-Travel insurance
-Voluntary tips (suggested tip is 5 USD for half-day tours and 10 USD for full-day tours)
-Bank fees (incoming wire fees or 2.6% credit card payment fee)